Recent Updates

Teardown 2018 is a wrap. Join us for Teardown 2019!

Teardown 2018 was tremendously fun. Thanks again to everyone who
attended and made it so great. There were amazing talks, workshops,
demos, experiments, and installations. However, by far the most
amazing part of Teardown was the people – the conversations, exchange
of ideas, offers of support, questions, explanations, and off-the-cuff
remarks. We can’t wait to see you in 2019!

Teardown is an event put on by Crowd Supply in association with
Make+Think+Code @ PNCA. You can think of Teardown as live-action
Crowd Supply, but with fewer cardboard boxes and packing
peanuts. We’ll be bringing together hardware aficionados from around
the world to celebrate, inspect, create, and, of course, tear down
hardware. There will be long-time Crowd Supply creators and backers,
as well as people we’re meeting for the first time. There will be
hardware, art, food, drink, puzzles, workshops, tutorials, talks,
music, field trips, and friends. Most of all, there will be ideas and
projects to explore and inspire. We hope you’ll be there too!

What to Expect

Teardown is about the practice of hardware: prototyping,
manufacturing, testing, dissassembling, and circumventing, all while
having fun. Leave the marketing glitz and talk of venture capital at
the door and come prepared to learn and teach.

Talks & Workshops

Teardown will have a few parallel, scheduled tracks of talks and
hands-on workshops covering a range of hardware topics and experience
levels. Some workshops might have material fees, but we’re trying to
make Teardown as accessible as possible. We’ve already lined up some
stellar talks and workshops, which we’ll announce soon. Do you have an idea
for a talk or workshop? See the Teardown call for
proposals!

Demos & Installations

We’re lucky enough to be holding Teardown in the expansive main
building of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a space well-suited
to hosting demonstrations and installations of all kinds, art or
otherwise. Want to set up something that lasts longer than a talk or
workshop? A demo table or installation space may be just the
thing. They can be attended or self-serve, and can range from
interactive sculpture to a workbench outfitted with tools to hack on a
specific project. Submit your idea through the Teardown call for
proposals.

Puzzle Hunt

Various puzzles will be woven throughout Teardown. The first person or
team to reach the finish line of the puzzle hunt will reap treasures
beyond their wildest dreams and be immortalized in legends and lore
for generations to come. Whether or not you burn the midnight oil
solving puzzles, madness will surely ensue. Prepare for the hunt!

Downtime

While scheduled events are great, we recognize that often the best
part of any get together is the stuff that happens without a schedule,
which is why we’re leaving room for swapping stories over drinks,
comparing notes on personal projects, and catching up with friends old
and new.

Registration

Registration is open and event passes are on sale now! The early bird
tiers won’t last long, so get yours while you can. All passes include
full access to everything Teardown has to offer, with the exception
that some workshops might have space limitations or require a small
additional fee to cover the cost of materials. We are trying to keep
Teardown accessible to everyone. To that end, we’re bringing on
sponsors and and have set up a Community Fund pledge level to help
defray event pass and travel costs for people who need it. If you need
financial assistance, please subscribe to updates and keep an eye out
for an announcement with more details. By attending Teardown, you
agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Sponsors

Teardown is made possible thanks to the generous financial, material,
and logistical support of our sponsors. We’re proud to work with such
great partners!

Schedule

Teardown runs from the afternoon of Friday, May 11, 2018 through the
night of Sunday, May 13, 2018. We encourage all participants to attend
the entire time – plan to arrive Friday around noon and leave Monday
morning. Below is the preliminary schedule.

Venue

Teardown’s primary venue will be the Pacific Northwest College of
Art (PNCA), which recently moved into the old post
office in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District. We’ll also be taking
full advantage of being within easy walking distance of everything
downtown Portland has to offer.

Teardown's main venue is the Pacific Northwest College or Art building.

Travel & Accommodations

A discounted block of rooms has been reserved at The Society
Hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the
main PNCA venue.

Stay in the Loop

Hit the “Subscribe to Updates” button near the top of this page to
receive weekly updates leading up to Teardown, from details on the
call for proposals to confirmed speakers, sessions, and activities.

Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, organizers, and volunteers at
Teardown are required to agree with the following code of conduct. We
will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation
from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Harrassment includes offensive verbal or written comments related to
any of the above reasons; deliberate intimidation, stalking,
following, or recording; sustained disruption of communication and
event activities; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual
attention.

Sexualized marketing material is not appropriate for Teardown.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed,
or have any other concerns, please contact a member of Teardown staff
immediately.

Teardown staff will be happy to help participants contact venue
security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise
assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of
the event.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all Teardown-related
events and venues, both online and offline. Participants violating
these rules will be sanctioned at the discretion of the organizers.